The subject matter disclosed herein relates to position sensing. More specifically, the subject disclosure relates to a hardware-only contactless position sensor system.
Position sensors can be used to measure absolute position of linear and rotational motion. A position sensor can include sensing coils that are designed to detect relative position between a moving target and a fixed portion containing receive and excitation coils. Sensing systems are typically implemented using microprocessor based electronics with algorithms implemented using software code. Software-based designs add flexibility; however, there is a high initial cost of software design and development for certification in an aerospace environment. Software-based designs may also raise reliability concerns due to potential susceptibility to single event upsets. For example, in an aerospace environment, sensor systems typically have a greater level of exposure to high-energy particles at altitude. Thus, there is a need for a sensor system implemented as a hardware-only design rather than a software-based design.